At the orphanage – A typical class and Growing Mushrooms
16 May 2007 – Wednesday

We had a good, busy day – and then probably as bad a traffic jam as we have experienced in Indonesia.

In the morning I quickly looked at the US Embassy website to see if I could help a member who called last night and was applying for a job there. What I found was not encouraging for him but I found that there were what is called ‘microscholarships’ available for those who want to become English teachers. Also there was other information that I think could be helpful there. I will spend some of our time on Saturday looking at this more closely.

We left early so we would be sure to get to the Kanes in time. We got there in less than an hour including stopping for fuel. They were not ready but invited us in while they finished up. Elder Kane showed us lot of pictures of their trip to the seashore. They went to the South shore and it is very much like the scenes you see in advertisements for Bali. They are thinking of going there and staying overnight. We hinted that we would like to go with them.

Since their car does not have a back seat they were going to take two cars. We suggested we take our’s. It was a little crowded – especially for Elder Kane – but it worked. I was going to put Elder Kane up in the front but Sam wanted Sadim to ride there so he could instruct him on where to go. So at first Sister and Elder Kane sat in the back and we had a nice conversation during the hour it took to get to the first stop. Along the way they happened to mention that they had been asked to teach a class about the church’s position on the family. I suggested that they use Proclamation About the Family by going through it paragraph by paragraph. They thought that was a great idea and are going to try to get copies for each of the students in Indonesian

The orphanage was a major surprise. First it is tucked away down a small road that then opens up into a very large area. There we met the woman and her husband that run the organization. She is a tiny Muslim woman who according to the Kanes is the force behind all of what they have. Her husband is a fine man who does the work and is happy to participate. To make a long story short, the mushroom project is a real possibility but I want to learn much more before we even attempt to start one. The couple agreed to let us send up a couple of people to learn how to grow mushrooms from front to back.

The mushroom project main purpose is to help defray the expense of running an orphanage for 40 young people aged 5 to college age. Many of them are not true orphans, but are children that single mothers had to give up because they could not take care of them and themselves. At the orphanage they not only take care of them physically but also give them a good education and lots of love. They own a lot of land and the buildings – at least those the orphans are in – are well kept up and clean. The children are like all children we have seen in Indonesia – even those who are begging on the street at 8 or 9 p.m. at night – clean and happy. The Lord has certainly used this fine couple to do His work on the earth. If all men would do as they have, there would be a lot less poverty – especially spiritual poverty – on the earth.

On the way to our next stop – the textile school -we did some sightseeing in an expensive sub-division. It is a huge sub-division with some estates that would be expensive even in the US and other sections that are expensive for Indonesia – $70 – $100K US – but that would be considered inexpensive in the US.

The textile school was certainly worth visiting. It provides a number of programs – the manager was pitching only one – ranging in cost from $350 to $1500. Which is not cheap but since they place 100% of their students it is a great program. The school is run by a German program and it is beautiful. Everything is first class – Indonesian first class. What I found interesting is that for the year program the first 3 months concentrates on teaching English and getting the students use to making presentations to buyers or superiors. Something that the manager said is really not taught in Indonesia. He said that the students at first hate him because he has them speak and then criticizes them in front of the class. Another thing that is not done in Indonesia. This is a school we will certainly recommend to those interested in PEF.

After seeing that school we went for a late lunch at Hartz Chicken – an all you can eat place that had some really good food – including broasted and deep fried chicken. The french fries were good and was most of the other things they serve. We ate and talked for close to an hour – eating much too much of course.

The trip home from Bogor to Jakarta flew by but when we hit the road that takes us to our apartment the traffic came to a complete stop. A trip that on a normal day takes 10 – 15 minutes at the most took close to two hours. This is probably the most frustrating thing about Indonesia – the time you sit in a car going no where. This was the worse one that I have been awake for – Mary told me that the one I slept through was exactly the same way – but it was only an hour or so long. Just when I was about to get out and walk to the apartment – we were across the street from it but going the wrong way, we broke through the jam and just sailed home.

It was a long, exhausting, – but very productive -  day and after we had read from the Kitab Mormon we both collapsed in bed.